The present invention relates to an armor system and, more particularly, to a ballistic armor system that includes an array of interlocked pellets.
A variety of materials can be used in an armor system designed to protect vehicles or individuals from projectile and shrapnel threats. Although present day armor systems can provide greater protection, there is oftentimes a tradeoff between protection and mobility due to the weight, bulk of armor systems and cost. Furthermore, munitions are continually being invented to eliminate the effectiveness of the armor.
The weight and bulk of an armor system tends to be more critical in personal armor (e.g. helmets and body armor). In such cases, advances have led to use of composite materials in order to increase mobility and decrease weight while increasing the degree of protection. For example, military helmets have evolved from the steel helmets of World Wars I and II, to plastic helmets, to the current state-of-the-art composite helmets which include aramid fibers capable of stopping handgun rounds but incapable of stopping larger projectiles.
Modern body armor (e.g. the bulletproof or ballistic vest) has also evolved from the cotton and nylon vests of the early 20th century to the fiber reinforced plastics of 1950-70s to the Kevlar and ceramic/metal plate armor of present day.
Ceramic materials have long been considered for use in the fabrication of armor components due to their hardness and relative lightweight. However, the use of ceramic materials in armor has been limited by a cost, weight and lack of repeat hit capability due to the brittleness of the material. Armor-grade ceramics can be extremely hard, brittle materials, and thus following impact of sufficient energy, a monolithic ceramic plate will fracture extensively, leaving many smaller pieces and a reduced ability to protect against subsequent hits. Thus, multiple hits can be a serious problem with ceramic-based armors.
In order to traverse these limitations of ceramics, state-of-the-art integral armor designs typically utilize arrays of ballistic grade ceramic tiles within an encasement of polymer composite plating. Such an armor system will erode and shatter projectiles, including armor-piercing projectiles, thus creating effective protection at a somewhat reduced weight.
Ceramic, metal (e.g., steel or titanium), or polyethylene plate armor systems have recently seen military use, and have demonstrated varying degrees of protection against projectile threats. Although effective, these body armor systems have been criticized for imposing weight and mobility constraints on the user while being expensive to mass-produce.
Thus, there is a continuing and ongoing need to provide improved ballistic protection with a minimal mobility and weight penalty.